Dorothy Han: An ITE graduate featured during PM Lee's NDR 2014 speech as a worker who did not go the academic route but has risen through the ranks in Keppel

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was so impressed by how some employees at Keppel have progressed in their careers despite not having much academic qualifications that he turned interviewer to find out their stories, he said at his National Day Rally speech on Sunday.

He said that Singapore must help its students create a brighter future, through many different routes, and not just by the academic route.

They can do so by getting good jobs, mastering deep skills, performing well, gaining relevant qualifications along the way, and in this way. advance in their careers.

And Keppel is a good example of what Govt wants to achieve nationally - where workers can advance and be valued for their skills.

Ms Dorothy Han graduated from ITE and joined Keppel FELS as a Draftsman 25 years ago She left Keppel and came back, where she rose to lead the pipe design section of the engineering department, supervising 62 people. (See first video below)

Mr Abu Bakar graduated from Singapore Polytechnic, then joined Keppel Shipyard as an Assistant Safety Officer. He is now working in Nakilat-Keppel Offshore and Marine, a joint venture shipyard in Qatar specialising in solutions for gas carriers and offshore structures. (See second video below)

Mr Lim left school after Secondary 2 and started work as an apprentice. Today, he is one of two Shipyard Managers at Keppel FELS, who together manage 12,000 workers in Keppel's two biggest yards in Tuas. (See third video below)